Bidspirit auction | Important early marginalia – Record

Important early marginalia – Record of a visit by Sir Moses Montefiore. Ketzot HaChoshen, Kapust, c. 1817, with rare approbation of Rebbi Moshe of Zvhil. - Sefer Ketzot HaChoshen by the eminent gaon Rabbi Aryeh Leib HaKohen (the “Ketzot”). Kapust, after 1817 (on the title page: 1797 – see below). Printed by Rabbi Yisrael Yaffe. From the very few approbations of the holy Rebbe of Zvhil : the sefer is adorned with an approbation by the righteous Admor Rebbi Moshe Goldman, the first Rebbe of the Zvhil dynasty, son of the Maggid of Złoczów and disciple of the Kedushat Levi and the Chozeh of Lublin. This is an extremely rare approbation, one of only five known that he wrote during his lifetime. In the margins of the volume are approximately 22 significant early scholarly glosses. These notes were clearly written by a great Torah scholar; for example, on folio 1: “He overlooked the words…, ” and on folio 22: “He overlooked the words of the Rambam.” Who would dare write such remarks about the great author of Ketzot HaChoshen if not a renowned gaon himself? These glosses were likely written in Galicia in the early 19th century. An early rabbinic ownership inscription on the title page: “Belongs to me, Yechiel Michel son of Rabbi Issachar Ber… ”—identified as the signature of the wealthy scholar Rabbi Yechiel Michel Berman of Pasvalys, son of the notable Rabbi Issachar Ber, son of Rabbi Moshe, Av Beit Din of Novy Dvor. Ownership inscription of his son on the front flyleaf: “This Ketzot HaChoshen belongs to the distinguished philanthropist Avraham Moshe son of Yechiel Michel Zatza''l.” Also recorded: “We have heard from Vilna that Sir Moses Montefiore wishes to travel to Panevėžys for the upcoming Sabbath. Therefore, we are obliged to hire carriages to travel there to Panevėžys for Shabbat.” Rabbi Avraham Moshe Berman, described as “versed in all chambers of Torah” (in the words of his son, Rabbi Yechiel Michel Shlomo Berman, on the title page of his work Likkutei Besamim, Warsaw 1903) was the son of the above-mentioned Rabbi Yechiel Michel Berman of Pasvalys, and son-in-law of the renowned Gaon Rabbi Avraham Abeli of Vilna (“Rabbi Abeli of Pasvalys”). One of the only known copies in the world! Notably, the place of printing does not appear on the title page, but the printer’s device is that of the Chassidic printer Rabbi Yisrael Yaffe of Kapust. The printed year is given as 1797, yet the approbations are dated 1817. It appears that Rabbi Yisrael Yaffe intentionally modeled this edition after the Lemberg 1797 edition, likely due to censorship concerns, therefore omitting the place of printing and altering the date. On the margin of folio 3 appears a Latin-script ownership inscription of Rabbi Yosef Hirshovitz of Pasvalys. 87, 21 leaves. 33.5 cm.